The reserves of marine uranium resources reach 4.5 billion tons. If all the uranium in seawater could be recovered, its fission energy could supply the energy needs of tens of thousands of years of mankind. On the other hand, however, the concentration of uranium in seawater is extremely low and its composition is complex. Therefore, research on uranium recovery technology that can be applied to engineering is a major challenge.
An Innovation Alliance for Seawater Uranium Recovery Technology was spearheaded by the China Atomic Energy Industry Group and established in 2019. Its members include 31 institutions, including the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University. It has set up a test platform in the sea area of Hawei Township, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province, and consists of a frame system and an anchor system. The frame system uses China’s latest patented floating cage technology, which is resistant to wind and waves, and consists of 8m x 8m floating cages connected together. It is designed to withstand wind wave class 6 (wind speed of 20.8 to 24.4 m/s and wave height of 6 m). It covers an area of approximately 600 square meters.
The technology used has not been disclosed.